Wednesday, 26 June 2013

The early-bird discount for the up-coming 2-day Ramadhan seminar is ending soon. Please book your place now. The power and strength derived from this Surah is equally applicable to a young Muslim living in this modern society as it was to a great classical scholar.

Imam Ibn
Al-Jawzi wrote in Saydul Khatir:

<<Once a situation compelled me to be associated with a matter
that is not Islamic. My mind gave me a lot of excuses and tried to hide
the sin in it from me. But, it was indeed not Islamic. I prayed to Allah
and sought His help to resolve the issue. I took the Qur'an and started
reading it as I had to teach Surah Yusuf on that day. When Zulekah
invited Yusuf (may peace be upon him) to the ugly act, he said: “I seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is my Master, who has made good my
residence”. I was shocked when I read this verse. I woke up all of a
sudden. The veil was removed from my mind. Yusuf (AS) was a free man,
but was brought to slavery forcefully. Still he recognizes the favour and
calls the one who favoured him his master. I then told my mind: “Now you
think, in reality you are a slave. Your Master has been helping you
since your birth. He gave you a healthy body, a protective religion and
many capabilities. You can never count His blessings on you. How
insulting is it then to act against His commands”.>>

This
is only one example of how one can learn from Surah Yusuf. Containing
the best of stories, narrated by the Creator of the all the worlds, the
story of Yusuf (AS) is the story of life with invaluable lessons for
every one of us.

Coming up this Ramadan is a detailed
explanation of Surah Yusuf by Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi, an expert
of Hadith and Tafsir and one
of the foremost scholars and thinkers of the Western world. This is an unmissable seminar for everyone, young and old, men and women, students and scholars....

Surah Yusuf - The Best of Stories at The Best of TimesIncluding Principles of Understanding The Qur'an

A
unique opportunity to study the amazing story of Yusuf (AS) this
Ramadan whilst also learning the principles of understanding the Qur'an
with an extraordinary scholar & teacher of our time, plus Ijaza
for each student linking them to the Prophet (SAW) for listening to the recitation of certain parts of the Qur'an.

Thursday, 20 June 2013

There is no doubt that we as Muslims know, or ought to know, our
destination - Paradise. But we act and behave as if we do not know. We
have become distracted by the present, causing us to forget the future.
This is similar to what Allah (SWT) describes the disbelievers in the
Qur'an.

Why do we allow ourselves to be distracted and forget the destination? The
simple answer is that we don't really believe in Paradise. It is not
deeply rooted in our hearts and minds as it must be. Surah Al-Insan has come to cure this illness.
It gives us a detailed description of Paradise to create a longing for
it, along with a description of the provisions we need to take with us
on this arduous journey.

This Saturday, get a detailed explanation of Surah Al-Insan by an expert of tafsir and hadith and one
of the foremost scholars and thinkers of the Western world - Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi. This is an unmissable seminar for anyone concerned for their real future.

These
days, many
contentious and sensitive issues related to Islam have arisen which lead
to questions and doubts in the minds of many Muslims with few reliable
sources to
turn to for proper answers. In the forthcoming seminar on Surah
Al-Insan, there will be a special bonus session giving all
attendees the opportunity to have their questions answered by Shaykh Dr
Mohammad Akram Nadwi, one of the foremost scholars and thinkers of
today.

Surah Al-InsanMan The Unknown - What is His Destiny?The Magnificent Journey Seminar Series With Bonus Session on "Doubts and Controversies about Islam"

"The Magnificent Journey continues... Today's
seminar was yet another awesome seminar in the series with exceptional
crowd and amazing insights from Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi. This is truly a
historic seminar series on the explanation of The Quran and is
redefining our understanding and relationship with the Book of ALLAH.
The emphasise of Dr Nadwi on establishing our connection with ALLAH and
utilising the space given to us for recognising one God, is the key
highlight of these seminars. Each seminar begins by strongly negating
the wrong practises which have been introduced in the true teachings of
worshipping one ALLAH and then builds on it by inviting us to ponder on
the sings of ALLAH and get closer to our Rabb. Truly inspiring series, I
would strongly recommend everybody including men, women and families to
attend the Magnificent Journey Seminars as these are life changing and
truly install this urge of loving the Book of ALLAH. The subtle nuances
of the language which make the Qur'an such a powerful speech are
beautifully explained by Dr Akram Nadwi in a nice balanced way keeping
the things simple and interesting at the same time. His tremendous
scholarships of Hadith literature and exceptional skills of Arabic
language make this series a unique experience and a historic event in
the city of Cambridge."- Awais Ahmed Awan, Cambridge

"Jazakumullah khair for the efforts of
the MEOC for arranging these blessed gatherings of knowledge. The
seminars I've attended so far have several elements that make them very
special, starting from the choice of topics themselves which cater to
the more profound needs of the people rather than addressing some
superficial issues that seem to be more fashionable today. Even the
content of the seminars and the manner of teaching by Shaikh Akram
Nadwi are directly focussed towards developing a deeper understanding
of these issues. In these seminars, one gets a glimpse of the years of
learning that have gone into the brilliant scholarship of Shaikh Nadwi.
Furthermore his knowledge seems to be blessed by an acute
understanding of the needs of the Ummah. The seminar on the 'Legacy of
Ibrahim (a.s.)' was exceptionally beautiful, wherein, the Shaikh in his
own words confessed that he was attempting to transmit, not knowledge,
but the state of his heart, to the others present. While the knowledge
and the insight that one gains into the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the
history of Muslims through these seminars is invaluable, I personally
feel that these sessions are more than just one-day courses. I am
inclined to call them gatherings of Remembrance of Allah, and we all
know the blessings of such gatherings!"- Mohini Verma, PhD Student, Cambridge University

"Of all the scholars I have had the opportunity to study with, I
have found Shaikh Akram Nadwi to be the closest, in knowledge, manners
and teaching, to how I would imagine some of the great Hadith scholars
of the past would have been. He has a vast knowledge of Qur'an, Hadith
and Fiqh, a down-to-earth, humble, approachable style, and great
teaching ability. His classes are not just beneficial from a learning
perspective, but also to marvel at the awe-inspiring wealth of
knowledge of our scholars masha Allah. His 57 volume work going through
the biographies of some 8,500 women scholars of Hadith is a monumental
endeavour. The mere fact of its existence can be a major talking point
in discussion with Muslims and non-Muslims, and is almost a
stand-alone proof of Islam's unparalleled wealth of female
scholarship." - Dr Omar Mahroo, Cambridge/London

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

These days, many contentious and sensitive issues related to Islam have
arisen which lead to questions and doubts in the minds of many Muslims
with few reliable sources to turn to for proper answers. In the
forthcoming seminar on Surah Al-Insan, there will be a special bonus
session giving all attendees the opportunity to have their questions
answered by Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi, one of the foremost scholars
and thinkers of today.Surah Al-InsanMan The Unknown - What is His Destiny?The Magnificent Journey Seminar Series With Bonus Session on "Doubts and Controversies about Islam"

"Jazakumullahu khayran. I can't thank you enough for the opportunity. I am so impressed by the Sheikh, subhanallah, mashaAllah. A very rare example of tradition fused with awareness of the environment and reality while not compromising God consciousness. If only there were more like him. Questions, I'm so glad we can ask them even if it's not about the sura. Yes, how else are we to learn from his wisdom and experience if we don't ask? The issues facing Muslims in the West are so many and so confusing and I just love the fact that he does not have an inferiority complex about Islam. It's really sad to see psychologically defeated scholars start throwing away tradition in the name of progress and fitting in. Sheikh Akram Nadwi gives you the sense that the real life is in the hereafter so don't have to get so tied up with the philosophies and controversies that sometimes take away our attention from the real purpose. The onus is on us, are we being pious?" - Aisha Barkatulla, Cambridge

"I wanted to thank you for organising the seminar about 'Eesa (AS) on Sunday. For me personally, it was truly very very beneficial and I learnt so much and it has opened my eyes to a lot I had no knowledge of before. I attended with the intention of learning so I could speak to my Christian friends but it was an eye opener for me personally as a Muslim. Brother Akram Nadwi is a very wise brother MashaAllah and its our privilege to have him around. Jazakumullahu Khairan and may Allah SWT reward all of you with His best reward - ameen" - Umm Haroon, Cambridge

“There are not many people that you meet and in the first hour of sitting with them you decide you love them for the sake of Allah, but for me that was the case one week ago, when I had the honour of sitting in on a course by Shaykh Akram Nadwi. The next week I was with him again and by no means did he cease to amaze me any less. When someone like Shaykh Akram speaks and explains things the way he does, you know that anyone who is not benefiting from him will look back in 10 years and think, man I totally lost out there. You may know a topic inside out but because of the depth of his knowledge and more importantly his understanding, when he explains something you are thrown back by how he explained it in a way you never heard it before. MashaAllah. These courses are essential for every Muslim. If people are sincere about seeking knowledge that will connect them to their Creator, Allah (SWT), then they will take full advantage as they will not only help one understand their purpose in life in a deeper and more meaningful way but they will also be in a strong position to articulate Islam to the people around them in a way that makes sense and appeals the the hearts and minds.” - Tariq Shaekh, LondonMore Testimonials (including videos): http://courses.meoc.org.uk/p/testimonials.html

Thursday, 13 June 2013

Today
there is often so much confusion between Shariah, Khilafah and
politics, not just among non-Muslims but among Muslims too. There are
some who call for "Shariah law" to be implemented in the UK and there
are others who say one's Islam is not complete without the Khilafa or
"Islamic state". There are yet others who say application of Shariah law
and Khilafah are obsolete and the way to go forward for Muslims is
through a democracy. So who is right and and how should one seek the correct solution?

The solution can be found in Surah Yusuf - in the 'the best of stories'.
When we look into the story of the Prophet Yusuf (AS), we find that the
answers are not always black and white as some would have us believe
but they depend on the time, place and condition. The amazing beauty of
the story is that it covers every possible situation. Surah Yusuf provides a complete and comprehensive lesson in how to conduct oneself in any circumstance,
whether one is free or oppressed; having authority or not; achieving an
"Islamic state" or not; possessing power or in weakness; living among
Muslims or non-Muslims; with the ability to implement Shariah law or
not; no matter what our condition may be, the story of Yusuf (AS) will
be relevant. The Prophet (SAW) followed the example of Yusuf (AS) not
only when he and his companions were being oppressed and persecuted in
Makkah prior to the Hijrah, but also after the Hijrah, when he returned
to Makkah as the conqueror and the one in authority. The story of Yusuf
(AS) also teaches us it is not Shariah Law or Khilafah or politics that
matters the most but the
soul of the religion - something very deep, universal and permanent, without which nothing has any value or
importance. This shows us the power of this story and how important it is to understand it.

Coming up this Ramadan is a detailed explanation of Surah Yusuf by one
of the foremost scholars and thinkers of the Western world and an expert
of both Hadith and Tafsir - Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi. This is an unmissable seminar for everyone, young and old, men and women, students and scholars....

Surah Yusuf - The Best of Stories at The Best of TimesIncluding Principles of Understanding The Qur'an

A
unique opportunity to study the amazing story of Yusuf (AS) this
Ramadan whilst also learning the principles of understanding the Qur'an
with an extraordinary scholar & teacher of our time, plus Ijaza
for each student linking them to the Prophet (SAW) for listening to the recitation of certain parts of the Qur'an.

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Surah
Al-Insan is a powerful Makkan surah giving a vivid reminder to man of
his weak and humble beginning and his ultimate destiny.

<<Was
there not a period of time when man was nothing to speak of? We created
man from a drop of mingled fluid to put him to the test; We gave him
hearing and sight; We guided him to the right path, whether he was
grateful or not.>> [Surah Al-Insan 76:1-3]

While the earlier Surahs of the Qur’an drew man’s
attention to the grave danger that awaits him if he chose to be
ungrateful, Surah Al-Insan gives the glad tidings of Paradise and all
that awaits therein for those who choose the right path, being grateful
to their Lord and following His Command until they depart from this
world successful. This Surah also directs man to a truth he cannot
forget - his success and the endless reward of Paradise is achieved only
by the grace and mercy of his Lord, so he must take the way to Him.

<<This
is a reminder. Let whoever wishes, take the way to his Lord. But you
will only wish to do so if God wills– God is all knowing, all wise– He
admits whoever He will into His Mercy and has prepared a painful torment
for the disbelievers.>> [Surah Al-Insan 76:29-31]

These
days, many
contentious and sensitive issues related to Islam have arisen which lead
to questions and doubts in the minds of many Muslims with few reliable
sources to
turn to for proper answers. In the forthcoming seminar on Surah
Al-Insan, there will be a special bonus session giving all
attendees the opportunity to have their questions answered by Shaykh Dr
Mohammad Akram Nadwi, one of the foremost scholars and thinkers of
today.

Surah Al-InsanMan The Unknown - What is His Destiny?The Magnificent Journey Seminar SeriesWith Bonus Session on "Doubts and Controversies about Islam"

"Jazakumullahu
khayran. I can't thank you enough for the opportunity. I am so
impressed by the Sheikh, subhanallah, mashaAllah. A very rare example of
tradition fused with awareness of the environment and reality while not
compromising God consciousness. If only there were more like him.
Questions, I'm so glad we can ask them even if it's not about the sura.
Yes, how else are we to learn from his wisdom and experience if we don't
ask? The issues facing Muslims in the West are so many and so confusing
and I just love the fact that he does not have an inferiority complex
about Islam. It's really sad to see psychologically defeated scholars
start throwing away tradition in the name of progress and fitting in.
Sheikh Akram Nadwi gives you the sense that the real life is in the
hereafter so don't have to get so tied up with the philosophies and
controversies that sometimes take away our attention from the real
purpose. The onus is on us, are we being pious?" - Aisha Barkatulla, Cambridge"I
wanted to thank you for organising the seminar about 'Eesa (AS) on
Sunday. For me personally, it was truly very very beneficial and I
learnt so much and it has opened my eyes to a lot I had no knowledge of
before. I attended with the intention of learning so I could speak to my
Christian friends but it was an eye opener for me personally as a
Muslim. Brother Akram Nadwi is a very wise brother MashaAllah and its
our privilege to have him around. Jazakumullahu Khairan and may Allah
SWT
reward all of you with His best reward - ameen" - Umm Haroon, Cambridge“There are not many people that you
meet and in the first hour of sitting with them you decide you love them
for the sake of Allah, but for me that was the case one week ago, when I
had the honour of sitting in on a course by Shaykh Akram Nadwi. The
next week I was with him again and by no means did he cease to amaze me
any less. When someone like Shaykh Akram speaks and explains things the
way he does, you know that anyone who is not benefiting from him will
look back in 10 years and think, man I totally lost out there. You may
know a topic inside out but because of the depth of his knowledge and
more importantly his understanding, when he explains something you are
thrown back by how he explained it in a way you never heard it before.
MashaAllah. These courses are essential for every Muslim. If people are
sincere about seeking knowledge that will connect them to their Creator,
Allah (SWT), then they will take full advantage as they will not only
help one understand their purpose in life in a deeper and more
meaningful way but they will also be in a strong position to articulate
Islam to the people around them in a way that makes sense and appeals
the the hearts and minds.”- Tariq Shaekh, LondonMore Testimonials (including videos): http://courses.meoc.org.uk/p/testimonials.html

There has been a lot of concern and anxiety over incidents of
the last few days in the UK. These incidents span from acts of violence
committed by young Muslims in the name of religion to the backlash from
the wider community that resulted from these acts. This has left many
Muslims feeling helpless, frustrated, insecure and even threatened, not
knowing what to make of it nor what to do. This trend is expected to
continue...

So where should we Muslims stand and what should we do?
There is no shortage of advice (or ill-advice) being given to us with
bizarre statements and conflicting comments made in the media by people
professing to represent the Islamic viewpoint (sometimes with good
intentions but often with ulterior motives and agendas). Are we to
listen to them while entertaining the ugly debates and arguments
prevailing on public forums such as television and social media?

<<Whenever
news of any matter comes to them, whether concerning peace or war, they
spread it about; if they referred it to the Messenger and those in
authority among them, those seeking its meaning would have found it out
from them. If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy towards you, you
would almost all have followed Satan.>> [Qur'an 4:83]

Are we following Satan or are we following Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (SAW)?

Allah (SWT) has given us clear guidance to navigate our life
through every situation. In this regard the Story of Yusuf (AS) is one
of the most comprehensive as it deals with all aspects of faith in
Allah (such as piety, trust, certainty, patience, gratitude,
truthfulness, repentance and acceptance of divine pre-ordainment), all
aspects of human emotions (such as love, care, passion, greed, envy,
jealousy and hatred), all aspects of human conditions (such as
oppression and injustice to leadership and authority) and much more.

The importance of the story of Yusuf (AS) is made clear to us by
Allah (SWT) referring to it as the best of stories (Qur'an 12:3) and by
the Prophet (SAW) taking Yusuf (AS) as an example for himself in all
aspects of his life (SAW), following even the minutest details. This can
be seen at the conquest of Makkah, when the Prophet (SAW) chose to use
the exact words of Yusuf (AS) when speaking to his opponents,

<<"You will hear no reproaches today. May God forgive you: He is the Most Merciful of the merciful">> [Qur'an 12:92]

Therefore if we are to live as faithful believers in
this society, then understanding the story and following the example of
Yusuf (AS) is indispensable.

Coming up this Ramadhan is a detailed explanation of
Surah Yusuf by one of the foremost scholars and thinkers of the Western
world and an expert of both Hadith and Tafsir - Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram
Nadwi. This is an unmissable seminar for everyone, young and old, men and women, students and scholars....

Surah Yusuf - The Best of Stories at The Best of TimesIncluding Principles of Understanding The Qur'an

A
unique opportunity to study the amazing story of Yusuf (AS) this
Ramadhan while also learning the principles of understanding the Qur'an
with an extraordinary scholar & teacher of our time, including Ijaza
for each student linking them to the Prophet (SAW) for hearing certain parts of the Qur'an.